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Browns GM: QB Baker Mayfield 'healthy enough to win games'

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Browns GM Andrew Berry: QB Baker Mayfield 'healthy enough to win games'

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 12/1/21

It's public knowledge Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Baker Mayfield has been dealing with a significant injury to his non-throwing shoulder he suffered in Week 2 back on Sept. 19. It is also known that Mayfield has played through foot, knee and groin issues that, most recently, caused him to visibly limp and grimace as early as the first quarter of what became a loss to the Baltimore Ravens that dropped the Browns to 6-6 this past Sunday.

At the start of the bye week, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear he intends to keep Mayfield his starter for at least the home game against Baltimore on Dec. 12. General manager Andrew Berry spoke with media members on Wednesday and insisted the first-overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft is healthy enough to lead the Browns on a winning streak and to a playoff berth.

Andrew Berry on the Browns sticking with Baker throughout the season: "Baker's our quarterback. He's healthy enough to win games for us. He's won games for us in the past couple of weeks. If he's ready to go, he's going to be our starter."
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) December 1, 2021

Backup Case Keenum filled in for a banged-up Mayfield and guided the Browns to a home victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 7. Understandably, Berry was asked why the club didn't consider resting Mayfield ahead of the bye to get him as fully healthy as possible for the season's final five games.

#Browns GM Andrew Berry on why they didn't rest QB Baker Mayfield with injuries earlier in season: For any player in terms of whether they're on the field, it's are they medically cleared, are they medically cleared that would allow them to function & can he perform on game day?
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) December 1, 2021

According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Berry added he expects Mayfield will find his top form when his team needs its offensive CEO the most.

"I think he’s told you guys he’s felt healthier week to week," Berry said of the 26-year-old. "But at the same time, I expect and I’m looking forward to seeing our guys work through this tough stretch, and that’s not just Baker. That’s our entire team. At the end of the day, we want to be playing our best football in December, and that’s really our mission. That’s our charge."

The harsh truths are that a Cleveland team once thought to be a Super Bowl contender has underwhelmed and under-performed, that a hobbled Mayfield has a losing record as a starter this fall, and that the Browns averaged 10 points across their last three games, two of which were defeats.

Nevertheless, Stefanski and Berry are riding with Mayfield, even if the figurative wheels ultimately fall off before January.

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